Few know the Battle of the Palouse rivalry better than Idaho offensive coordinator Matt Linehan and family
MOSCOW, Idaho – Any Idaho fans younger than 60 years old remember the high-water mark in its iconic Battle of the Palouse with Washington State coming in 1999-2000, when the Vandals won back-to-back games in the 94-game series dating to 1894.
Before that, to see an Idaho win, you have to go back to 1964-65 when the Vandals picked up a pair of victories, when the world was mostly recorded in grainy black and white photos.
The Cougars own a 73-17-3 advantage in the series.
Within this frame is the lengthy history of the Linehan family in the rivalry. They are still looking for a win.
New Vandals’ coach Thomas Ford Jr. is taking an even keel on Idaho’s opener against the Cougars Saturday in Martin Stadium. It’s a game, one of 12 Idaho plays this season.
“I don’t think we are any more motivated for this game than any other,” Ford said in a recent press conference.
Matt Linehan, Idaho’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, echoes Ford’s opinion. He says he is telling his players to “go in there and do your job. Try not to get too emotionally caught up in the environment.”
But Linehan saw this game from the field twice: as a freshman quarterback in 2013 when the Vandals fell 42-0, and in 2016 as a junior when the Cougars won 56-6 .
Linehan also partook in the rivalry as the Vandals’ receivers coach when Idaho took WSU to the final 12 seconds in the most recent iteration of the game in 2022, before falling 24-17. His father, UI Hall of Fame quarterback Scott Linehan, served an apprenticeship as a freshman to fellow Hall of Famer Ken Hobart and watched from the sidelines in 1982 as the Vandals fell to the Cougars at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane, 34-14, and Linehan’s uncles, Ron and Rick Linehan, met the Cougars in the 1970s without a win.
Scott Linehan, now an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints, is coming back for Saturday’s game.
“He will be excited, like everybody else will be excited,” says Matt. Having his father in his ear as Matt makes his debut as an offensive coordinator and signal caller is probably the weekend highlight.
“He has been pretty busy in New Orleans the last couple of months. But he is helping me get started as a play caller and offensive coordinator. I am leaning on him for expertise,” according to Matt. “He says ‘one drive at a time. Always have a plan, and have a plan after that.’”
However, the Battle of the Palouse has a vibe all its own. For the Vandals, it is not like playing Big Sky Conference foes like Weber State or Northern Colorado.
“The environment is great. It was one of the best environments I ever played in,” Linehan remembers of playing the Cougars. “There is a lot of historical rivalry and importance to it.” And after the near miss three years ago “2022 changed some things. We believe we belong with these guys.
“The way we prepare, we expect to win.”
From what he has seen on film of WSU new coach Jimmy Rogers’ South Dakota State University teams the past two years, when Rogers led the Jackrabbits to a 27-3 record and the 2023 Football Championship Subdivision title before coming to Pullman, the Vandals are facing a formidable opponent.
“They have a really good coaching staff,” Linehan said. “They are really well coached.” Based on the SDSU tape, “those guys are always in the right spot.”
Linehan acknowledges the hype surrounding the game got to him a bit when he played. He has cautioned Idaho’s new starting quarterback Joshua Wood not to fall into the same trap, and he believes Wood won’t.
“This is Joshua’s first start. I told him to play free,” Linehan said. “He’s his own man. He’s a special talent.”
Toward the conclusion of his news conference, Ford did try to get into the spirit of the Battle of the Palouse. He pointed out he has coached at Washington as an assistant, Idaho as an assistant, Oregon State as an assistant and now Idaho as a head coach.
“The last four places I coached didn’t necessarily like those guys in Pullman,” Ford said.
How the Linehans – with more than a half-century of frustration invested in the Battle of the Palouse – are going to feel about the Cougs Saturday is yet to be determined.